


Art Lies

by Just_a_simple_trash_can



Series: Art Thief Au [1]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Angst, Art Thief AU, Art thief Auguste, Conversations about the Regent, Detective Nik, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Smut, The Regent ends up in prison
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-21 14:58:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13743372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_a_simple_trash_can/pseuds/Just_a_simple_trash_can
Summary: “Believe it or not, the golden son is the one in control. Auguste DeVere is far more dangerous than any one of you believe. His brother is just as much of a threat, but Auguste is the brains behind each operation. His brother is the one who puts them into action. Both of them are combat and hacking specialists. Clearly, they are not trained just for stealing art pieces. We need to be prepared for anything that the DeVere brothers may be planning. There’s a reason they’ve gotten away every time they’ve been caught.”





	Art Lies

**Author's Note:**

> This ended up being a lot longer than I original planned, but I really enjoyed this AU. I have an idea for a small sequel that I’m going to start writing soon. Hope you enjoy!  
> Find me on Tumblr at just-a-simple-trash-can

“Believe it or not, the golden son is the one in control. Auguste DeVere is far more dangerous than any one of you believe. His brother is just as much of a threat, but Auguste is the brains behind each operation. His brother is the one who puts them into action. Both of them are combat and hacking specialists. Clearly, they are not trained just for stealing art pieces. We need to be prepared for anything that the DeVere brothers may be planning. There’s a reason they’ve gotten away every time they’ve been caught.” The door suddenly opened and a voice called out.

“We apologize for our lateness,” a man with a Veretian accent said. Three men walked into the meeting room and over to the captain. 

“As long as you’re here.” The captain turned back to the officers in the room. “Arles PD has asked for our help to take in the DeVere brothers. I’ll let them introduce themselves.” The man who had spoken before step forward and grabbed the remote. 

“I am Special Agent Jord Dumont. This is my partner, Special Agent Orlant Leroux. And this is Nicaise Pierre, a rookie officer investigating the case with us.” The slide changed to the mugshots of the brothers. “Auguste DeVere. Age 35. Laurent DeVere. Age 27. Both are wanted for art theft, breaking and entering, evading police, assault on a police officer, and escaping police custody. We’ve been chasing after them since Auguste was twenty-seven and he stole his first art piece worth three hundred thousand dollars. Three years later, Laurent, the younger brother, joined him. Somehow, these two have been evading us for almost ten years. Usually, art thieves steal well known pieces of art and disappear. Sometimes they get away with it and sometimes they get caught. The DeVere brothers differ in that they keep appearing. It’s a pattern that we didn’t find until about five years ago.” A timeline appeared on screen. “Three times a year they spend an entire month stealing art pieces. After the month is up, they disappear. It’s why we’ve been having such trouble catching them in the act. That and they somehow always escape police custody before they get into a cell. We have reason to believe that these two are not working alone, but they are the brains behind every operation. They take out the cameras, they choose what art pieces are stolen, and they make the distractions. They are somehow constantly two places at once when the art pieces go missing which have led us to believe that they have a team.” The slide changed again to a picture of the brothers at a gala.

“They are both, in the eyes of everyone who has arrested him, very attractive,” the captain said and he was right. They were attractive. Either one of them could flutter their eyelashes or give an empty compliment and their target would be putty in their hands. “They are smart, cunning, and dangerous. They can easily manipulate anyone that they come into contact with. They have been doing this work for a long time and know a lot more than any of you do. If we are going to catch these two, I need my best officers on the job. I need to know that the people I put on this case won’t fuck up and let them get away. I trust each and everyone of you and I need to keep that trust. These two are a menace to society and they need to be dealt with as soon as possible.” The slide changed to a advertisement for an art show happening in Marlas. “We think that they’re going to target here on Friday. I’m going to need two officers to go undercover and see if they can’t distract the two of them long enough for us to make an arrest.” Damen raised his hand and called out to his captain.

“Nikandros and I have this taken care of.” The captain nodded.

“I hoped that the two of you would volunteer. You have always keep your eyes on the target and have never failed me before. Meet me in my office later and we’ll talk over your identities and how to go about the arrest. I’m trusting you two to stay focused on the mission. This is our one chance at getting the upper hand on the DeVere’s and we can’t let them slip through our fingers again.” Nikandros gave his friend a side glance and frowned. The DeVere’s were exactly Damen’s type if his ex was anything thing to go by. Blonde, threatening, and beautiful. Nik grabbed his arm and pulled him close.

“Hey,” he hissed. “Clearly you don’t know yourself as well I do.”

“It’ll be fine,” Damen whispered back. “My job comes first. You know that.” 

“I’m just saying. Look at them.”

“You’ve got to learn to trust me, Nik. My job is far more important than a quick fuck. I’ll have you by my side, too. You’ll keep me in line.”

“You put far too much trust into me for me to trust you even a little.” Damen just clapped his shoulder and looked back at the slide presentation.

“You two,” Special Agent Dumont said. “You need to be warned about them. It doesn’t matter who you think you are. These two are the most manipulative criminals you have ever met. Don’t let them fool you.”  
***  
Nikandros stood in the middle of the gallery, a glass of champagne in his hand and a cold, bored expression on his face. Almost immediately after the pair arrived at the art show, Damen suggested that they split up to cover more ground and walked away before Nik could argue. 

He couldn’t even pretend that he liked art. He was only there to arrest the DeVere’s and he wasn’t even sure that they were going to show up. He didn’t want to make conversation with any of them and make himself look like an idiot in front of people who knew a lot more about art than he did. It was suspicious to just stand around and people watch so he began to walk through the gallery, keeping an eye out for the DeVere’s.

Nik walked over to an art piece that was probably the most interesting thing in the entire building. It was a young woman surrounded by color. In her hands was a bouquet made up of various flowers. What caught his eye was the fact that everything in the painting was in color except for her. Nik spent a few moments admiring it when someone next to him spoke.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? What some people can do with just their hands and imagination… It’s a true shame that art and artists aren’t more appreciated. I wish I had this kind of talent.”

“Everyone is unique in their own way. Some people can learn languages in a few weeks and some can create an entire world with just a few words.” Nik pursed his lips. “Someone is envious of the talents you have in the same way that you are envious of this artist.”

“Wise words. Do you know the meaning behind this piece?”

“I was trying to figure it out and I can’t seem too.”

“This is actually one of my favorite paintings. It was created by a young man who made it for his girlfriend. She had very low self confidence, but always made sure that everyone around her was happy. She was an inspiration to her friends and her family and the artist was in love with her. Unfortunately, on the night he was planning on proposing to her, she was in a car accident and passed away from her injuries. He created this in memory of her. About a year after this one became very popular, he painted a sort of continuation of this one where his girlfriend and himself were standing on opposite sides of the painting, separated by a gap, like they were on two separate islands, miles away for each other. They reach for each other, but can ever make it.”

“Poor man,” Nik mumbled. “I couldn’t imagine losing someone that way. How is he?”

“He keeps to himself mostly. I don’t believe that he’s moved on. I’ve considered trying to find him, but no one seems to know who or where he is.” Nik glanced at the plaque underneath the painting.

“It’s just initials.”

“I don’t think he wants anyone to mourn for him. I don’t blame him. I don’t know what I would do if I lost someone I loved.”

“Loss is difficult for anyone. People mourn in different ways.”

“Have you lost someone?”

“No, but my best friend lost his mom at a young age. His dad passed a few years ago and I stayed with him to make sure he was alright. It was hard on him for sure.”

“Losing your parents is very difficult. It was certainly hard for my brother and I. My parents passed when I was a teenager, but my brother was still a child and I had to make sure he was okay.” Nik gave the stranger a sideways glance and his suspicions were proven. The hair could have fooled anyone, but it was the eyes that got him. The DeVere’s both had stunning blue eyes that stopped anyone in their tracks. Nik looked back at the painting and cleared his throat.

“Are you a big fan of art?”

“I began to admire it when I was a child. My mother painted in her free time. It was more of a hobby than anything, but she was wonderful. Art helped me see the world in a different light. What about you? How do you feel about art?”

“I was dragged here by a friend who ended up ditching me once we got here.” Nik had no reason to lie. He just needed to distract DeVere enough for the others to make an arrest.

“Then would you like to get a drink with me?”

“That’s not a good idea.” But was that really true? DeVere seemed pretty open and Nik wondered if he could learn a little bit more about what the brothers were planning. “But I think my friend wouldn’t mind if I bought a drink for a kind stranger.” DeVere held out his hand with a smile.

“My name is Auguste.” He was confident that he wasn’t going to get caught. Nik couldn’t screw up this opportunity. The brains behind the DeVere heists was right next to him. Nik shook his hand.

“Damien.” 

“A pleasure to meet you.” Auguste kept a hold of his hand as they walked out and with his free hand, Nik texted Damen his plan.  
***  
Nikandros woke up the next morning with one of his wrists handcuffed to the bed. Half of him hoped that DeVere had a kink that he didn’t know about, but that hope faded when he looked up and saw DeVere pacing back and forth in front of the bed, holding Nik’s badge and shaking his head.

“Detective Nikandros Delfeur,” he sighed. “I had a sneaking suspicion, but I still took the chance. It’s unfortunate. I really enjoyed last night.” DeVere tossed Nik’s badge on the desk next to his phone and wallet. He stood at the end of the bed, looking at Nikandros like he was prey. And Nik felt like it. “Don’t worry. We’ve already made the rest of your team think that we got the upper hand on you and the rest of our team locked you and your friend in a closet somewhere. Unfortunately for you, your attempt at distracting us was fruitless. We still got the art pieces we wanted. It’s a shame though.” He slowly walked over to Nik and gently ran his fingers along the detective’s chin. “I was hoping that I could coerce you over to my side. You just wanted to put me in cuffs.” He shook the chain of the handcuffs and smiled. “Looks like the tables have turned.” He sat down on the bed next to Nik and ran his hand down Nik’s bare chest. “We could go about this one of two ways. You could keep trying and failing to arrest us and I could keep you handcuffed to the bed or-“ DeVere leaned down and brushed their lips together. “You could join us.” The captain was right. Auguste DeVere was dangerous.

“You’re not worth losing my badge,” Nik hissed out. DeVere sighed, but kept his fingers on his chest.

“And you’re not worth going to prison.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to Nik’s jaw. “You know I’m the only thing that stand between you and getting out of this bed.”

“You’re not getting away with this.”

“But it looks like I am.” DeVere brushed the hair out of his face. “Because I’m not handcuffed to the bed.” Nik took the chance and grabbed DeVere by his hair with his free hand. DeVere let out a small hiss and bit his lip. His cheeks flushed very lightly, but Nik could still see it.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Shut up.” DeVere pulled himself away and moved back over to the desk. The door opened, getting DeVere’s attention. The younger brother walked in and glanced in Nik’s direction before turning back to his brother. 

“Lazar is waiting for us. We need to go.” 

“And what about the other officer?” 

“He’s still in bed and asleep.”

“Good. Let’s go then.” DeVere took the handcuff key from his pocket and tossed it onto the bed, just out of Nik’s reach. “I’m sure you can figure your own way out.” He grabbed a bag off of the floor and followed his brother out the door. Nik tried to reach for the key, but his fingers could only brush against it. He let out a swear and pulled against the chain as much as he could, the metal of the cuff digging into his wrist. His finger ran along the edge of the key and with another attempt, he was able to grab it. He quickly removed the handcuff and started to run towards the door when he realized that he was still naked from the previous nights events. 

“Shit,” he hissed out, running into the closet. He ripped a robe off of one of the hangers and pulled it on. Nik ran into the hallway, nearly running into Damen as he did. His friend looked closely at him and let out a sigh of relief.

“You’re okay.” He looked Nik up and down and raised eyebrow. “What happened to you?”

“Never mind that. Drive me back to my apartment. We need to get to the station.”  
***  
The lie was enough to keep Damen and Nikandros from losing their jobs. Nik told the captain what he had learned from Auguste and continued his investigation. He felt shitty enough about actually sleeping with a criminal; he needed to be the one to actually capture DeVere. He had to be the one to put him in cuffs and send him to prison. 

Damen felt the same about the younger DeVere brother. He made the same mistake his friend had and they both needed to fix it. They worked together as much as they could, trying to figure out what their next step was going to be. Several high value art pieces had been stolen from the art show in Marlas, the total almost reaching half a million dollars. Despite all the work they put into their research, they couldn’t figure out when or where the brothers would strike next.

They looked at every museum located in Vere and Akielos and researched the art shows that could be possible targets. None of them seemed to have anything that the brothers would target, but Nik knew very well that wasn’t the case. The DeVere’s knew that they would make that assumption and that’s why they were going to target even the smallest of museums. The problem was Vere and Akielos were both countries of art: Vere was known for paintings while Akielos was famous for sculptures. There was no way to narrow down where the next robbery would happen.

“We can’t focus on Vere,” Pallas said at one of their meetings. “At least not specifically. The same for Akielos. They’re staying near the border of the two counties, never going too far into either one.”

“We can’t underestimate them,” Damen said. “They know what we’re planning somehow and we can’t let them send us on a wild goose chase.” Nik just looked over the photos and sighed.  
***  
Nikandros walked into his apartment complex, tired and pissed. It was almost midnight and despite working for the entire day, they were no closer to finding the DeVere brothers. There hadn’t been any word of them since the robbery of a museum in Sicyon. By the time he and Damen had gotten there, the brothers and their team were long gone. Three paintings, a marble statue, and a collection faberge eggs were stolen. There hadn’t been any sign of a break in and the cameras had been turned off before anything could be caught.

“They’re toying with us,” Nik had said as they drove back to Delpha. Damen just stared out the windshield, keeping his attention on the road. “They can’t resell half of this shit. They’re doing to just to screw with us.” Nik looked over at his friend who was deep in thought. “Damen? Any input? At all?” It took Nik only a moment before he let out a frustrated groan. “You’re still thinking about him, aren’t you?”

“You can’t tell me you’re still not thinking about Auguste,” Damen shot back.

“DeVere is a criminal!”

“A criminal that you fucked twice!”

“He’s-!” Nik stopped, unable to come up with a proper answer. “We didn’t fuck the second time.”

“Your cock was in his mouth, Nik, and more would have happened if I hadn’t walked in.”

“And he still got away because you have eyes for the younger brother.”

“Look,” Damen said, calmly. “Let’s both admit that we fucked up and let’s promise that we’re not going this again.”

“Okay. Neither of us are going to be anywhere alone with either of the DeVere’s until they are in cuffs and in custody.”

“Deal.”

That was the decision they had made. Neither of them were going near the DeVere’s if they could help it. Nik’s career wasn’t worth a pretty face and a nice fuck. He wasn’t going to fuck Auguste DeVere again. He was not going to make that mistake anymore. 

The second time was more of an accident than anything. Nik had just happened to walk by a museum when he saw the DeVere brothers having dinner across the street. He had called up Damen and stayed hidden, but Auguste had still found him and started talking to him. The next thing Nik knew, he was in a cafe bathroom with a wanted criminal between legs. Damen just so happened to walk in, looking for the brothers. Auguste smiled at Nik and pushed past Damen, running down the street after his brother. Somehow, they ended up losing them.

Nik took his keys out of his pocket and started to unlock the door, only to find that it was already unlocked. He immediately shoved his keys back into his pocket and pulled out his handgun. He kicked the door open and looked around. His apartment was still dark, but he could tell there was something different. Keeping his gun up, Nik ran his hand against the wall until he hit the light switch. On the wall next to his kitchen, there was a painting hanging. Nik recognized immediately.  
It was a ten thousand dollar painting. 

“I thought I would return this one to you,” a voice said. Nik quickly turned and pointed his gun at Auguste DeVere who was sitting on his couch wearing a suit worth more than Nik made in a year. His feet were kicked up on Nik’s coffee table and he gave the detective a cocky, confident smile. “Laurent loves this one, but I don’t care for it much so I thought I would return it to you as an apology for our last meeting.”

“The faberge eggs. The marble statue. Where are they?” Auguste sighed and stood up, making an effort to straighten his tie and fix his hair.

“You’re rather quick to get to accusations. Who’s to say it was me?”

“Because you’re smarter than any other art thief.”

“Oh?” The art thief in question took a few steps over to Nik. Nik stood his ground and kept his eyes on DeVere.

“You’re not getting away this time.”

“I’m not.” Nik couldn’t tell if it was a question or a sarcastic response. “You really need to learn to have more faith in me.” 

“You’re a criminal and I won’t stop until I see you behind bars.” Auguste played with Nik’s tie before grabbing it and pulling the officer down to his height.

“The last two times we’ve seen each other, you couldn’t resist me.”

“Things are different now.”

“Oh? How so?” Just as Nik moved to shoot him, Auguste knocked the gun from his hand and took out his own weapon. It was a knife that had been stolen from a museum in Arles. Nik quickly bent the art thief’s hand, causing him to drop the knife and kicked it out of Auguste’s reach. Auguste took the opportunity to knock Nik off his feet and send him onto the ground. The detective quickly switched their positions and pinned Auguste’s hands above his head. The blonde glared up at him with a sneer. Nik, believing that he still had the upper hand, began to reach for his radio. DeVere took his chance and grabbed Nik’s tie, pulling him into a kiss. It was just like the other kisses they had shared. Warm, wet, and dangerous. DeVere was dangerous; Nik knew that. He knew it more than anyone. But DeVere was also very attractive and he used it to his advantage. Nik was momentarily distracted by the kiss. He allowed himself to lean into it and was only taken out of it when the blonde ran his free hand down Nik’s chest. The detective pulled away and turned DeVere onto his stomach, quickly taking out his handcuffs.

“Auguste DeVere,” Nik started as he put on the handcuffs. “You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of-“ Nik was cut off by a sharp elbow slamming into his stomach. As he tried to catch his breath, DeVere pinned him to the floor, attempting to remove the handcuffs. “Having trouble?” Auguste responded by attempting to head butt the detective. Nik moved at the last second causing DeVere to hit his head on the wood below them. Nik took his chance and handcuffed Auguste to a footrest of one of the dining room chairs. The art thief struggled to escape and soon found that it was inevitable. Nik took out his radio and called in the incident. “This is Detective Delfeur. I need to report a break in at my apartment. The suspect is Auguste DeVere and he has been-” Nik was cut off once more by a gunshot followed by the sound of wood breaking. He turned quickly, fearing that DeVere had injured himself and was met with a punch to the face. The door to his apartment slammed closed behind him. “Shots have been fired. The suspect has escaped.” Nik ran out of his apartment and gave chase. “Suspect is heading north down Fourth and Main. He is potentially armed and dangerous. Heed caution when approaching.”  
***  
DeVere ended up escaping. He had a car waiting for him down the block from Nik’s apartment. No matter how the night had ended, whether or not Nik did end up fucking him or if Nik decided let him go, DeVere had an escape plan. The effort was getting tedious and Nikandros was almost prepared to toss in the towel and give up. DeVere was too smart and he knew how to get under Nik’s skin. If he was going to continue working this case, he couldn’t be alone with DeVere again. There was no telling what could happen and Nik wasn’t willing to take the risk. 

Soon enough though, the opportunity presented itself and Nik didn’t know what to do.

He sat at his desk, pouring over the paperwork and evidence from the robbery at Sicyon, when his phone rang. Out of habit, he unplugged it from its charger and answered with, “Detective Delfeur.”

“I’d like to offer a parley.” Nik’s eyes widened and he called out for Damen. “I would suggest you don’t do that. This is a throwaway phone and this call won’t last long enough for you to trace it.” Damen looked up from his desk and gave his friend a confused look. Nik just made a cutting throat gesture and walked into the hall that was empty except an officer who was talking with a young, crying woman.

“What do you want?”

“I’m making this call on a disposable phone, but this conversation will continue in person.”

“You're oddly confident of that.”

“I’m going to text you my address. I want you to come here tonight at ten unarmed and alone.”

“Like fucking hell.”

“You want answers and I’m willing to give them to you. You just have to promise that this  
conversation will just be between acquaintances.” 

“Acquaintances?”

“You’re absolutely right. We’ve fucked twice. Acquaintances is far too formal.”

“Screw you.” 

“Awfully hard stance for someone who didn’t believe a wood chair could be broken.”

“You shot my chair.”

“I could have shot you and I didn’t.”

“But you would have.”

“Really? Are you sure about that?” Nik looked up and down the hall.

“What are you planning on telling me?”

“Why I do what I do. I’m sure you want to know.” He did. He really did. It had been killing him that there was never a reasonable motive. 

“Ten o’clock?”

“I’ll leave the door unlocked.”  
***  
Nik walked up to the door and stood outside for a solid five minutes wondering if he should just leave. It was the smartest decision and he was already taking a big risk by talking with a wanted criminal and not arresting him. His brain told him to turn around and walk away, but his hand turned the knob and walked in. 

DeVere stood at his bar, pouring bourbon into two glasses. Nik was still wearing his dress shirt and pants from work, but DeVere was wearing nothing but a pair yoga pants. His hair was in a tight braid that hung over his shoulder. From where Nik was standing, he could see a tattoo on his hip. It was a phrase that Nik was having trouble translating. He caught a glimpse of another tattoo that ran down the criminal’s spine.

“You’re here early,” DeVere said, holding out a glass to Nik. He turned to face the detective and Nik glanced down, spotting another small tattoo on his heart. The writing was too small to read unless he was up close. DeVere then looked closely at the holster on his hip. “I thought we agreed you came unarmed.” Nik pulled out his gun and took out the magazine, tossing it to DeVere and tossing the gun onto the couch. The blonde put the magazine on the bar counter and offered the drink.

“Do you really think I’d take a drink from you?” Nik hissed out. DeVere shrugged and drowned the drink he held out to Nik and refilled it. “Those tattoos are new.”

“They aren’t actually. I got a new one a week ago. They’re too easy to get recognized so I cover them up whenever I go out.” He ran his fingers along the tattoo on his heart. “This one is for my parents. I got it a few years after they died.” Nik accepted the glass and took a small, hesitant drink.

“And the Latin?”

“Ama et quod vis fac. Love and do what you want.”

“How fitting,” Nik snorted. 

“I have Laurent’s birthday on my wrist and my new one is the one on my back.” DeVere turned and Nik saw the tattoo along his spine. 

“Music notes.”

“The piano notes for a lullaby my mother sang to me when I had nightmares.”

“I expected you to have some ironic artsy tattoo just to fuck with me.” DeVere let out a laugh and turned back around.

“I’m glad you came.”

“There’s a reason you invited me over and there’s a reason I’m risking my badge.” Auguste sighed and gestured for Nik to follow him. They walked into the living room where Auguste went straight for the balcony. He stood by the door and just stared outside.

“I really do love this apartment.”

“DeVere.” Auguste let out another sigh.

“Despite the lack of evidence, I would bet every dollar I own that my father was murdered. When he died, I had already lost my mom. I was nine when she passed; Laurent had practically just been born. He died of a heart attack when I was thirteen. He was thirty-nine when he died. What healthy thirty-nine year old has a heart attack?” Auguste’s grip tightened on his glass. “We were sent to live with my uncle. He physically abused me when I stood up to him and tried to protect Laurent. When I was fifteen, he took me away from my seven year old brother and sent me to live in Ios while he lived in Arles. I didn’t get reunited with Laurent until he was eleven. I hadn’t heard a word from either of them since he separated us and the only reason he brought me back was to threaten me into signing over all the money from my dad’s will.

“He was threatening Laurent. I had no choice, but to say yes. I was broke and completely under his control. Laurent didn’t speak to me as often as he used to and when he did…The first thing my brother said to me after not seeing me for almost five years was “Why did you leave?” before showing me the handprint on his wrist. You don’t understand how much I wanted my uncle dead. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in his will so if he died, we would be broke. I wasn’t about to do that to Laurent. When Nicaise came into the picture, I was twenty-three, Laurent was fifteen, and Nicaise was eight. I drew the line at the first bruise I saw and called the cops. He got arrested, but we didn’t get any of the money. I didn’t care. I was just glad the two of them were alright. We lived on the streets for a while. We didn’t have a choice. I committed petty theft, but I was pretty so I never got caught or I got away with it. I did it often enough that the two of them ate and had clothes on their backs. The actual art theft started when I was twenty-seven and Laurent was nineteen. I convinced him to go to community college once we got the money for it and I tried to find a job. I actually applied to work at the first museum I robbed, but I realized how easy it was to steal from it. I waited a few months until I gained everyone’s trust and snuck in during the middle of the night. I stole one of the art pieces and sold it the next night. Immediately after, I moved the three of us into an apartment under a fake name and alias. Eventually, I told the two of them that I was an art thief and Laurent wanted in. Of course I told him that I was the only was who was going to take the risk of going to prison.” Auguste stopped for a moment and look a large sip of his drink. “Then one night, he followed me out and showed me how quickly he could disarm the cameras. He worked behind the scenes for a little bit until our little team actually formed. Once Nicaise joined the ranks, we had someone to work as our lookout while we stole artwork. It’s mostly the three of us, but every once in a while, we hire a few guys to do the heavy lifting.”

“Nicaise,” Nik said. Auguste smirked. “Son of a bitch. It was a wild goose chase.”

“Fucking with Jord is the best choice I’ve ever made in my life.” Auguste swirled the drink in his glass. “Nicaise stayed in contact with us while he went through the police academy and gained Jord’s trust. One sentence about how Auguste and Laurent DeVere had screwed him over and he was immediately under Jord’s wing.”

“You son of a bitch.”

“Is that what you think of me?”

“I should.” He didn’t, but he wish he did.

“But you think I’m beautiful.”

“I never said that.”

“But you’re thinking it.” The blonde turned to face Nik. “And I can see it on your face.”

“You’ve got the money. Why do you still do it?” DeVere kept changing the conversation. He was hiding something.

“My uncle was bailed out of prison. Someone decided that he wasn’t guilty and he got out. I want him to know that I’m still alive and that I’m coming for him.”

“Is that a death threat?”

“It’s a lawsuit threat. I’m taking back my dad’s money.”

“And then you give back the art?” He shrugged and finished his drink.

“The pieces that I haven’t sold.”

“Then you disappear off the face of the earth.” 

“Then I turn myself in.”

“You're full of shit.”

“Maybe I am.” Auguste put his glass on the coffee table and walked closer to Nikandros.

“What’s the truth?” Nik took a step away from him, keeping his eyes level to Auguste’s.

“I’m sending him straight back to prison no matter what I have to do. I won’t kill him because I want him to suffer for what he did to me and my brother. Once I make sure that he rots in a cell, I move out of your jurisdiction.”

“Figures.” 

“Don’t you worry your pretty face. I’ve got enough money to last me for the rest of my life. Once that bastard is in prison, the art thieving stops.”

“Does it?”

“I’m not planning on doing this for the rest of my life.” Nik took another sip and put his glass down. 

“You’ll be on the run for the rest of your life.”

“Jord will lose interest after I disappear.”

“I won’t.”

“No, you won’t. You want to see me behind bars.”

“You’re goddamn right I do.” Auguste sighed and took a step back.

“You’re aware of the fact that I think you’re attractive.”

“Is that why you’re constantly screwing with me?”

“That’s one reason. The other is that the stick up your ass isn’t as big as Jord’s.”

“You could say that again.” Auguste walked by him back over to the bar. 

“You could go if you’d like. That’s all I had to tell you.”

“That’s your motive? Screwing over your uncle? That’s it?”

“I don’t know what else you could be hoping for. I needed money and I did something about it. Now I’m wanted in Vere and Akielos and I’ve dragged my brothers down with me.” Nik stared at him in case he decided to try something. “This is a parley. You’re not here as a cop and you’re not going to try to make a deal with me.”

“Your uncle. Is he still alive?”

“I’m sure he’s still in Arles somewhere. Why do you ask? It’s a little late to try and arrest him.”

“Something tells me he’s not living a clean slate.” DeVere stood in silence for a few moments.

“I don’t understand you. One minute you’re threatening me with prison and the next you’re planning on taking down my uncle.”

“You said he abused you and your brother. I’ll agree with you in that he deserves to rot, but you’re still not innocent.”

“I never said that I was.” Auguste turned to face him. “It won’t be easy. If you’re willing to do it, I can give you the address. You’re an Akielon police officer, though. You can’t arrest him unless he commits a crime in Vere.”

“I can investigate it, though.”

“It would be better if you just left.” Nik walked over to Auguste, keeping a small distance between them.

“You put a lot of work into getting me here. I’m not leaving just like that.”

“Of course you aren’t. You just want to make things difficult, don’t you?”

“Difficult? The fuck does that mean?” Auguste didn’t say anything. “DeVere.” He stayed silent. Nik grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, pinning him to the bar counter. Auguste gave him a sharp glare and tried to push him away. 

“Get out.”

“Something changed. From the time you made your call to me to when I showed up, something changed.”

“Get out.” 

“Something went wrong. The plan changed. You’re no longer in control.”

“Nikandros-” Nik spotted a letter that had been thrown haphazardly behind the bar. He looked between the letter and DeVere before reaching for it. Auguste made an attempt to stop him, but Nik was taller and stronger, and he grabbed the letter. Auguste stood aside and let him read it, digging his nails into the counter of the bar. 

“This is from your uncle.” Nik’s eyes darted across the letter as he tried to make sense of it. “Holy shit. You were never in control. It’s been your uncle since day one.” Nik looked up at Auguste who was avoiding eye contact.

“It was my uncle up until the first time I got caught. He used his oldest nephew’s pretty face and charm to steal different artifacts. I let myself get caught and I told him I was done. I took Laurent and Nicaise and left. We’ve been doing our own work, doing what he wanted us to do except he can’t say jack shit anymore. He’s been trying to get into contact with me ever since we became well known wanting me to stop. Each and every time I’ve told him to choke and found someway to block any sort of contact between us. It’s been about six months since his last letter. This is the first time that he’s threatened Laurent and Nicaise.”

“What could he do to them that you couldn’t do to him?”

“Kill them.” Auguste stopped and took a deep breath. “I’m not a murderer. I’m a thief. The only reason I get physical is because I know I’m going to get caught and if that happens, I’ll be separated from Laurent and Nicaise. They’re not...as strong as I am. They’re still afraid of him. I’m still afraid of him. He gets to them and they’ll follow any order that he gives them. I don’t want that to happen. That son of a bitch isn’t going anywhere near my brothers, but I can’t bring myself to kill him. That’s not the kind of person I am.” Nik was stunned into silence. He stared at the letter and swallowed the knot in his throat. “We disappear to try and stay hidden from him. I am a criminal; I’m not afraid to admit that, but look me in the eyes and tell me I deserve punishment more than that son of a bitch does. I can’t prove anything and Laurent and Nicaise won’t testify against him. I get caught, I go to prison and he wins. He’s got the money and he’ll find a way to keep the two of them from getting punished. I will give in once he’s the one behind bars and he dies behind them.” 

“What’s his name?” Auguste looked directly at Nik with an empty stare.

“Richard DeVere, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes by an alias.”

“Show me a picture.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.” DeVere stared at him before turning around and walking down the hall. Nik folded the letter back up and put it back in its envelope. He had a theory and if he was right, he might be able to kill two birds with one stone. Auguste walked back out with his phone in hand. He slid his finger across the screen a few times before showing Nik a picture. “Send that to me.”

“Why?

“Because about a year and a half ago, Arles PD asked us to help them with a case involving a fifty to sixty year old man accused of the kidnapping and assault of a minor. I’ve wanted to nail that bastard since I heard about the case. He went by a different name, but I recognize that face. Give me any other letters you have from him. I’m going to tell Jord that they were delivered to my house from an anonymous sender. If we can get a lead on him, the attention will be off of you for a few days.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I became a police officer b because I wanted to help people. I had friends who weren’t as lucky as I was and they were in pretty shitty situations that I couldn’t save them from. I decided that I wanted to help the people who couldn’t help themselves because no one else wants to help the weaker man. I hate every damn thing about you, but you count. You are one of those people. If I can get one more scumbag off the streets, I’ve done something good.” At that moment, for some unknown reason, Auguste leaned forward and kissed him. Nik let it happen for a few minutes. He allowed himself to lean into it and enjoy the contact. He eventually pulled away and took a step back. “I have to go. The sooner I start the investigation, the better.”

“Thank you,” Auguste whispered.

“I’m not doing this for you.” Both men knew that wasn’t true.  
***  
Three weeks later, Nik found himself standing outside DeVere’s door once again. He could have called or sent a letter or decided to say fuck it and not tell him at all, but he didn’t do any of those things. He drove himself to DeVere’s apartment and walked to his door. Something in his heart told him that this needed to be a face to face conversation.

Nik raised his fist and knocked on the door. Silence. He knocked on the door louder and got a response. DeVere opened the door with a towel wrapped around his waist and another in his hands, drying his hair. He had a new tattoo on the right side of his chest. It was a gold lion in a circle of red. Why a lion in particular, Nik couldn’t figure it out.

“Nikandros.”

“He’s in custody,” Nik started, keeping his eyes on Auguste. “They found him just outside of Arles. There’s enough evidence to put him away for thirty years. His trial is going to take place before the end of the month. Until then, he’s going to be watched by several officers at all times.” Auguste stood and just stared at him.

“Would you like to come inside?” He shouldn’t. Someone was going to call him with an update or Damen was going to want to meet to look over some paperwork. Instead of walking away, Nik took up his offer, walked inside and went straight to the couch. Auguste closed the door and started walking into the hallway. “I’ll be right out.” Nik just nodded and pulled out his phone, texting Damen that he was going to be meeting up with a friend and that he wouldn’t be home. 

Auguste soon walked back out wearing a pair of sweats and headed straight for the bar, pouring each of them a drink.

“Did I come at a bad time?” Nik asked, still staring at his phone.

“It could have been more convenient, but you’re fine.” Auguste brought over their drinks and placed Nik’s in front of him. Nik took one sip before grabbing Auguste and pulling him into a kiss. It was surprising to the both of them. It had always been Auguste initiating all of their previous kisses; Nik had always been trying to convince himself that their entire relationship was a mistake. 

Auguste’s fingers almost immediately found his hair and gripped it tightly. It wasn’t long before he was straddling Nik’s lap and his tongue was in his mouth. Nik had one hand digging into Auguste’s hip and the other buried in his hair. He pulled away and pressed his lips against the blonde’s neck, biting and sucking several hickies into soft pale skin. Auguste let out a small whine and grinded their hips together, desperate for more contact. Nik growled into his neck and pulled at his hair, getting another whine out of him. 

“Take me to bed,” Auguste whispered. The blonde pressed their lips together again and pulled the detective off of the couch. Nik had a choice at that moment. He could sleep with someone he promised never to sleep with again or he could walk out the front door and never see DeVere again. Nik made his decision and lifted Auguste off his feet. The blonde let out a gasp and quickly wrapped his legs around the detective’s waist. They blindly walked to the bedroom while the blonde unbuttoned Nik’s shirt and Nik continued sucking on Auguste’s neck.

“Putting pants on was a waste of time for you,” Nik mumbled against Auguste’s jaw as his teeth grazed against it. The blonde smirked and pushed Nik onto the bed, climbing on next to him. 

“When I was showering, I didn’t realize you were coming over and when I was getting dressed, I didn’t plan on being in bed with you.”

“You should have expected it.” Auguste answered by pulling the taller man’s pants off and sliding his hand into his underwear. Nik flipped their positions, pinning Auguste’s hands above his head.

“You do like being in control, don’t you?” His smirk was dangerous, but Nik already knew that all too well.

“Shut up.”

“Make me.” Nik instead grabbed his hair and pulled his hair roughly, dragging a loud moan from his throat. “Jesus, Nikandros. Just fuck me.”

“Be patient.” Nik kissed him again. It was messy and addicting. They clung to each other as much as they could before Nik pulled away. “Where’s your lube?”

“Let me up and I’ll grab it.” Nik backed away and let Auguste dig through the drawer until he pulled out a half empty bottle of lube and a roll of condoms. Nik pulled off Auguste’s sweats as the blonde searched and pressed his lips to Auguste’s bare thighs. “We were unprepared last time so I took the liberty of getting ones your size.”

“So you did suspect it.”

“I assumed that at one point or another I would get you in my bed.” Instead of answering, Nik opened the bottle of lube. 

“How are we doing this?” Auguste ran his hands down Nik’s chest.

“I want you to fuck me. And maybe next time we can switch.” Nik poured a gracious amount of lube on his fingers, rubbing them together and lifting Auguste’s hips.

“You say that like there’s going to be a next time.” 

“There always is.” Auguste rested one of his legs on the detective’s shoulder and wrapped the other around his waist. Nik lowered his hand until his fingers pressed against the blonde’s entrance. Instead of pushing his fingers inside, he teased Auguste and rubbed his hole until Auguste started begging. “Nik, please.” Nik let a smirk grow on his lips as he kissed Auguste’s neck and pressed his fingers inside. The blonde let out a small noise and dug his nails into Nik’s shoulders. “Hurry up.”

“You need to learn to be patient.” Auguste ignored that and lowered his leg, flipping their positions with one quick movement. Nik froze for a moment, trying to process what had happened while Auguste just smirked and put lube into his own fingers. “How did you do that?”

“Would you believe that I’ve had to wrestle myself out of police custody several times?” He leaned up and pressed his lips to Nik’s as he prepared himself. Nik found it more attractive than he thought he would.

“Fuck.” Auguste rested a hand on Nik’s chest, caressing it gently as he stretched himself open. He back away, nipping at Nik’s bottom lip as he did and grabbed one of the condoms. He ripped it open with his teeth and slid it onto Nik’s cock. Auguste hesitated for a moment before lowering his head and taking Nik’s member into his mouth. Out of habit, Nik grabbed a handful of Auguste’s hair and pulled it as hard as he could without hurting him too badly. Auguste only sucked on his cock enough for Nik to get hard before sitting back up and wiping the saliva from his mouth. He put a thick layer of lube and pressed another kiss to Nik’s lips before lowering himself onto Nik’s lap. The taller man rested one hand on Auguste’s thigh and the other on his hip to keep some semblance of control. Auguste maintained eye contact as he slid down onto Nik’s cock then let out a gasp as Nik’s member pressed into him. “Losing your confidence?”

“Shut up.” Nik thrusted roughly into Auguste in response, causing perfectly manicured nails to dig into his skin. “Do that again.” The request had been said breathlessly. Nik didn’t know how long he would last with Auguste speaking like that. Nik thrusted into him again, getting a loud, begging moan in return. He did it once more before stopping and stared up at Auguste. He looked like a model and it was unfair. If things had been different, this could have been a weekly thing. They could be making out in a museum or Nik could fuck Auguste into his satin sheets until they were screaming each other’s names, but that’s not how things worked. Nik wholeheartedly believed that he could fall in love with Auguste if they hadn’t met in the manner that they did. Auguste was smart and beautiful and talented. Any man or woman would be lucky to have him and Nik had that chance right in front of him. A part of him was still considering arresting him. 

“Ride me,” Nik said, mindlessly. The blonde looked down at him in surprise, but his expression didn’t change. Without hesitation, Auguste lifted up his hips and sunk back onto his cock faster than Nik had expected. The detective let out a gasp and tightened his grip on Auguste’s thigh, knowing very well there were going to be bruises. Auguste raised an eyebrow and repeated the motion, getting a similar reaction out of his partner. The blonde continued at a fast pace, drawing moans out of his lover and himself. Nik took the upper hand and delivered another hard thrust into Auguste, causing the blonde to lose his balance and fall onto Nik’s chest. “Are you alright?”

“Do that again.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m begging you, Nikandros. Do it again.” Nik followed his lover’s order and thrusted into him again. Auguste cried out and met his thrusts. 

“Christ, Auguste.” Nik couldn’t seem to recognize his own voice. He had heard himself in bed before, but with Auguste, his voice got deeper, almost predatory. The two continued at a quick pace, sharing messy kisses and clinging onto each other. Nik reached in between them and wrapped his hand around Auguste’s cock. The blonde moaned out his name as Nik brought him to completion. While Auguste came down from his high, Nik thrusted in a few more times and bit and sucked Auguste’s neck until he came. The blonde buried his face into Nik’s neck and tried to catch his breath. Nik did the same, running his fingers through his hair and looked down at the blonde who was starting to doze off. Auguste was half on him and holding onto him tightly.

“You seemed a lot more energetic the last time we were in bed together.”

“Shut up,” Auguste mumbled tiredly, curling up into Nik’s arms and letting himself fall asleep. Nik already made one mistake, so he allowed himself another and fell asleep, burying his face in soft blonde hair.  
***  
Nik woke up to lips lazily pressing against his jaw and neck. 

“No handcuffs this time?” he whispered, wrapping an arm around Auguste’s waist. The lips smirked and sucked on his neck.

“I considered it and decided that I wanted you in a good mood when I woke up.”

“Did you expect that I would be?”

“I hope you would.” The lips moved and pressed against his own. Nik leaned forward, pulling Auguste closer as he did. It felt strangely domestic. In that moment, they were lovers instead of enemies. Nik knew the truth though. They both did. Nikandros pulled away as soon as his heart would let him and started to get dressed.

“I have to get to work.”

“You could stay.”

“We both know I won’t.” Nik tried to convince himself that it was harder to say ‘can’t’.

“No. What we both know is that you could have left last night and you didn’t.” Nik felt his jaw tightened and he quickened his pace.

“Last night was a mistake.” Fuck. 

“You damn well know that isn’t true.” Nik ignored him and walked down the hall to find his shirt. There was the sound of stumbling as Auguste followed him. “Try and convince me that you don’t feel the same way I do.” Nik continued to ignore him. “Nik.” There was a beat of silence before, “Please don’t go.” Auguste couldn’t successfully say it without his voice breaking. The crack caused Nik to at least stop at the door and consider his options. He went with his head instead of his heart for once and walked out the door, slamming it for emphasis. Auguste didn’t follow him out. 

He sat in his car for a few minutes before angrily hitting the steering wheel and calling Damen. 

“Where were you last night?” Damen asked.

“You up for drinks tonight?” 

“It’s Wednesday.” 

“I’m going out with or without you. I just thought I would extend the invitation.”

“Fuck it. Let’s do it.”

“Usual place?” 

“I’ll see you there.”  
***  
Nik sat in silence, hiding in a corner and waiting for the signal. It was past midnight and he was tired, but he had one shot and he wasn’t going to screw it up.

“They’ve entered the building,” Jord said though his earpiece. “Everyone get into position.” Nik took a step out and signaled to the other officers in the room. He pressed his back against the wall until he saw the brothers walk into the door and straight for the decoy emeralds. Two officers moved out of the shadows, pointing their guns at the pair.

“Put your hands in the air!” Nik yelled as he and Pallas quickly moved behind the brothers. Before Auguste could move, Nik grabbed his wrists and put handcuffs on him. Auguste gave Nik a sharp glare that he did his best to ignore. Other officers were waiting outside to take the brothers into custody. Nik quickly handed Auguste over to the other officer and went to go find Damen who was standing next to one of the other patrol cars. 

“How many cars do we have following them?” Damen asked Jord, who was just getting off of a phone call.

“At least three,” Jord replied. “Five if need be. We’re not letting them get away this time.” Nik closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Nikandros? Are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine,” Nik replied. “Just as long as those two see a courtroom.”  
***  
The ride in the cruiser was quiet. Auguste had been staring out the window in silence since they had been taken into custody. 

“How do you feel?” Laurent asked quietly, looking at his brother. “After seeing him?” Auguste just smiled sadly as he dug a key out of his back pocket.

“I’ll feel better out of these handcuffs.”


End file.
